Strawberry Swing
by Lonely Kitty
Summary: Monotonous days have been set on fire, on fire, by a boy with raven hair and obsidian eyes. For Naruto, The Fragaria, his world is going to come crashing down. Sasunaru For Baka Penguin
1. Step 1: Start with the basics

LK-Nya! It's the Penguins b-day today sooo, as requested, ill do my absolute best to write the darnest fluffiest, whipped cream filled sasunaru ficcy ever! Or least, finish it in time for her birthday (:D) it will be around 3-5 chappies, hope you like it, R&R nya!

**Disclaimer: if I owned Naruto, I would give it the the Penguin to show my undying love…after screwing up the plot beyond imagine of course.**

**Disclaimer 2: Song and lyrics belong to the uber awesome Coldplay, song is Strawberry Swing from their new album, Viva la Vida or Death and all his Friends (yes, I am advertising)**

By: Lonely Kitty

Step 1: Start with the basics

Strawberry Swing

(Now the sky could be blue  
I don't mind  
Without you  
It's a waste of time)

Naruto's POV

Now it's not that easy, being the only child of The Beloved and The Requiem, but he made it happen. Sort of. Even with having that ridicules name, (how they got The Fragaria (1) from Beloved and Requiem, he shall never know) the blond haired dobe still got a decent education, (which wasn't much to say for the other's in his class) perfect manners, (though the only time he was ever polite were during formal occasions) and had grown from a darling little boy to a handsome young man.

Naruto sighed, even through all that, why did he feel like something was _missing_? The blond stared with mild boredom at the endless expanse of woods and exotic plants of his father's estate. A lonesome man-eating rose drifted up from its humble pot to greet the young prince with a loving caress of its long vine.

"Hello Roseanne" A small smile slowly made his way on his face. Though he had many chances to make friends with other children like him, Naruto found that they were all self centered and paraded around others money. It was better to leave them be in their little worry free world.

Naruto absentmindly stroked the plants forehead; it made a soft purring noise and clicked its razor teeth as a dog would wag its tail in pleasure. The teen, sighing once more, let his hand drift from the deadly carnivore's head to the iron fence on top of the balcony he was standing on.

"Why is it…that I feel so _empty?_ Every day of every month of every year, I feel something calling me, but what…or who?" Naruto let out a frustrated sigh, angrily thrusting his suntanned hand through his unruly blond hair.

"…I just don't understand" The young prince let silence over take him, silently returning his hand to the plant's head. Only after a long while was it was disturbed by a soft knocking at the door that led to the balcony. Giving a quick glance to the glass door he let out a chaste "come in".

A 16 year old girl hesitantly stepped in and closed the door softly after her. "Fra-fragaria-sama, there is someone for you at the door." The girl's voice was so soft and quiet, if Naruto had not already been accustomed to such light vocal tones, he would have missed it completely.

"Hinata…" Narutos face gave a pained look before giving a cheerful grin. The violet haired girl was about the only one who he liked in the entire mansion, even though she was a bit timid and a part-time maid.

"There's no need to talk to me like that! I though you knew that!" The blond haired beauty did not restrain the urge to place his hands behind his head, as he often had to do with company. The silly grin from before remained on his face, easily dispelling any unease the girl was feeling.

She bobbed her head quickly in understanding before remembering that she had not come for a simple chat.

"Na-naruto-kun…" although the two were on first name terms with each other, the violet haired girl still called him with a bit of formality. "There's someone at the door for you" she finished off with a small smile.

"huh?" _'someone for me?'_ Naruto scratched his forehead with his index finger. Thinking of who would ever request an audience with him.

"Who is it Hinata-chan?" he asked after coming up with nothing.

The girl raised her hand to rest lightly on her lips. She curled the fingers slightly to make a small fist. Her brow furrowed in confusion as she nervously shifted her weight to her right foot.

"Well…" she started off hesitantly "I'm not sure _who_ it really is, he just asked to see you." A single finger curled out to lightly tap her lips. "He seemed to know you…though."

Naruto tilted his head in confusion. "He just wanted to meet me?"

"He just wanted to meet you" Hinata confirmed.

Naruto seemed to mull this over for a bit, it was rare for anyone to request a meeting with him, however important. He gave an impish grin, _'might as well have some fun'_

"All right Hinata-chan, can you take me to him?" The girl gave a single nod and motioned for him to follow.

Along the way to the door, the pair talked aimlessly of random things, of what desert the cook was making tonight, of which type of flower had bloomed recently and of what kind of music sounded most pleasing right now.

This was what Naruto adored about his best friend, they never talked of the "Titles" or of the "wealth" that each family possess. In truth Hinata's family was very well off, but Naruto's family decided it would be best if Naruto would start looking for someone to spend more time with and eventually forever. So they made a deal with the Hyuuga family and Hinata, The Quintessence (2), was given the position she had now in exchange for a "Secret" (3)

Naruto would never forgive his father for that.

In almost no time, the two were already heading down the stairs that lead to the door. Before even giving a glance, Naruto felt a shudder run through his entire body. A man with raven hair and obsidian eyes waited at the bottom of the mahogany stairs.

The moment they came face to face, Naruto's breath hitched. The man was beautiful, with porcelain skin unmarred by any blemish, lush lips, and dark enthralling eyes. Naruto suddenly felt incredibly dizzy and collapsed into the man's waiting outstretched arms.

"Naruto!" the boy barely registered the girl's frantic cry as he was overwhelmed by the warm fragrance of vanilla and the bitter strong smell of coffee. A soft hum vibrating from the man in front of him filled his ears. Naruto suddenly flinched as a bright flash of light filled his eyes.

In an instant, the world burst into crimson flames as the tendrils of fire licked at the edges of the semi-conscious teen's line of vision. Though the fire raged and burned around him, all Naruto felt was the calming and warm embrace of the man. Darkness steadily creped closer as he gently succumbed to sleep.

"Welcome to my game Naru-tan…" in a vague recess of his mind, Naruto thought he heard some one utter those words before succumbing to the sleep the dark promised.

-:-

1.the fruit of any stemless plant belonging to the genus _Fragaria,_ of the rose family (btw, this is an inside joke, if you want, go ahead and ask why XD)

2.(in ancient and medieval philosophy) the fifth essence or element, ether, supposed to be the constituent matter of the heavenly bodies, the others being air, fire, earth, and water. Or the most perfect embodiment of something.

3.Power mainly, secrets are the "key" to a "gate", in other words, the tailed beasts

LK-whew! Well, ill try to update soon (maybe) since it's the Panda's birthday tooo, curse you!! Anyway, please remember that reviews are love, I'll do my best nya!

The One and Only, Lonely Kitty


	2. Step 2: Rules and Regulations

LK- Nya! I'm so sorry for the late update! I even said that I'd update early to, well, here it is! Thanks to blugirlami21 and JudaiHaou'sGirl for being awesome and reviewing and to everyone else who put this on alert, thanks! On with the ficcy, please R&R nya!

**Disclaimer: Look in the first chappie please :D**

**Disclaimer 2: Song and lyrics belong to the uber awesome Coldplay, song is Strawberry Swing from their new album, Viva la Vida or Death and all his Friends (yes, I am advertising)**

By: Lonely Kitty

Step 2: Rules and Regulations

Strawberry Swing

(Now the sky could be blue  
I don't mind  
Without you  
It's a waste of time)

'_drip'_

"_huh?"_

'_drip'_

"_what…the hell is going on?"_

'_drip'_

'_**who dares…interrupt my peaceful slumber?'**_

Naruto's eyes shot open at the sound echoing and bouncing off a sewer like chamber. Wildly, like a caged animal, Naruto searched the chamber for anything familiar. He caught flashes of blood red but as quickly as they appeared, they vanished into a dark corner of the massive room.

'_what the hell is going on here?! Where's Hinata? And that man…" _Naruto was panicking. He attempted to sit up but found that he very well couldn't. Large bands of glowing red held him down to the watery floor.

Naruto could see them boiling and oozing black stretches of tar but strangely, they did not burn. He could feel the heat coming of the tentacles of solidified fire but could not feel more than a slight discomfort of dry heat.

He gave a low whimper as a split tentacle curled around his neck. In an attempt to get a grip in his surroundings, Naruto twisted his head backwards, not so much that it hurt, but enough to see what was behind him. He almost wished that the bands had blinded him instead.

Behind him was a monstrous creature with nine swishing tails, a menacing grin with razor fangs, and piercing slitted eyes. Its grin grew wider at the teen's terrified face and inaudible scream. A talon larger that Naruto's entire length slammed far to close to his head. A few golden strands littered around the claw in a disarrayed fashion. Ever so slowly, the beast pulled it back to make a screeching sound that burned the mortified teen's sensitive ears.

"Stop it!" Naruto pleaded, desperate to stop the horrible sound. Surprisingly, the beast did cease and it titled its head to the side a bit, as a dog would do if asked how its day was.

Unsure of what was going on, Naruto hesitantly looked back once again towards the fearsome creature. The blond gave a surprised gasp as he took a good look as to why he wasn't foxy food already.

An iron gate as large as the fox himself kept the creature from advancing and injuring the tied down boy. Though that didn't stop one of his massive tails and wayward claw to take a shot at him.

Suddenly, Naruto felt himself being lifted up. He realized by now that struggling would get him no where so he stayed put like a good little fruit and waited until he was eye level with the demon fox. He didn't even flinch when the bars that held the demon came closer or cry out when its mouth began to open wide and he was heading directly toward it. Nope, Naruto stayed put because surely, this insanity must be a dream. Unfortunately for him, demons are real and this one hadn't had a snack for a very long time.

'_**kit…are you…my factor?'**_

Naruto flinched at the rumbling voice but glanced questionably at the fox demon.

"…what?"

The creature gave a snarl, baring its pearly whites. Naruto gasped as the tail gripped him tight enough to cut off his air circulation. Still, he could feel the creature's anger as if it were his own.

'_**this…**__child__** is my factor?! This CHILD!' **_the roar was enough to deafen Naruto for the rest of his life. It resounded around the room and echoed down distant corridors. Naruto flinched once again as he let out a menacing growl.

'_**but…I suppose it can not be helped'**_

The fox demon slowly lowered the startled teen back to the ground and with the utmost care and precaution, set him lightly on his feet. Naruto only gave a bewildered look at the demon.

With Naruto safely on the stable ground, the demon fox leaned back to sit on its haunches and looked over the boy. _'it's almost as if he's evaluating me…' _Naruto thought warily. Cautiously, he decided to ask the creature the question that had been nagging him since the beginning.

"Who…who are you?"

The demon fox glared at the teen for having the audacity to question him. But as soon as he thought that, the fox leaned down to eye level again. Naruto flinched.

'_**I am…someone who has been with you since the beginning, I am called Kyuubi no Kitsune. You may call me Kyuubi.' **_

Naruto titled his head in confusion.

"You've been with me…since the beginning, do you mean birth or my Naming? (1)"

Kyuubi gave a low chuckle, though it resembled a hoarse barking more than anything else.

'_**well, at least my Factor isn't a complete idiot.' **_Kyuubi gave a low sigh. _**'I have been with you since the beginning of your birth, and only since your naming have I been completely awake.' **_

Naruto frowned, he knew there was something different about him. He knew it since the day he was told that he was The Fragaria, but still, a demon had been with him since his birth, now that was something he had not been expecting, but there was still something else...

"But if you've been with me since the beginning, why is it that only now you show yourself to me? And…what's a…factor?"

The demon fox eyed the boy carefully, it was the same look he had given him previously, judging whether he could take the truth or let him stay in the dark. With a huff, Kyuubi decided it wouldn't be too much damage to know the truth.

'_**You obviously weren't listening Kit, I have only been fully awake since your naming, and I have been contacting you, you just weren't listening.'**_

A sheepish smile crossed Naruto's face. Now that he thought back a bit, he could distinctly remember a constant calling at the back of his neck. But since he had no clue as to where it came from, he disregarded it as meaningless chatter of the wind.

"And… and the factor?" Naruto came up with quickly, trying to gloss over his humiliation. The demon fox gave a sneer at the pitiful attempt.

'_**a factor is one who holds a secret, only the factor can call upon the secrets power, like yourself, there are 9 others with this power'**_

"I'm…I have a secret in me? But how?" Naruto gazed up at the crimson canine, begging for more information. The fox merely laughed.

'_**ask your dead father that, your real one, he's the one who imprisoned me here. But enough of that, when you wake up, trust no one, more than your life is in danger now.'**_

With that, the chamber disappeared, the corridors vanished, and he was thrust, quite forcefully, into the realm of reality. It felt like he had just been drowning in a puddle of lukewarm mud.

-:-

"Well done Itachi, so, this is a factor? It looks like an ordinary child." The masked man lightly prodded the unconscious teen with the toe of his foot. He turned to the stoic raven haired man, and titled his head in confusion.

"How are we going to extract the factor from him?" the man questioned after a moment. Itachi shrugged, he had not been given any other details than who was the factor and how to get him, and he had been excluded from the finer points of the plan.

The other man nodded, seemingly unaware of the plan's true intensions as well. He gave a bored sign and picked up the boy by the collar and handed him to Itachi.

"Do something about him till then, I'm going to take a nap" without a backward glance and a lighthearted wave, the masked man made his way to the door and left.

Itachi shrugged, no doubt that man would be killed as soon as his duty was done. As if on cue, a scream split the air for less than a second before a sound of something heavy hit the floor. Scraping sounds of something being dragged away faded away after a moment. Everything done here was clean, efficient, and always, anonymous.

Itachi sighed, the child would be a burden to him, might as well leave him with someone else while he attended his other duties. After all, there was no need for **his** hands to be dirty now was there?

-:-

**Sasuke's POV**

When I heard the knock at my door, I knew, from my very core, that it could not be good. Three knocks, a pause, another knock, and then, four quick consecutive raps on the mahogany door. Only one person would have the patience to enter the proper code.

With an angry glare, I stomped my way to the door, kicking a defenseless pillow in my frustration. I paused at the door, letting my eyes trace over the fan design that lay eye level to me, anything to stall the moment. If _he_ was here, it couldn't be good.

"Sasuke." He sounded oddly bemused "Open up, I have a present for you." I could feel his smirk beyond the suddenly transparent door; feel him tilt his head in amusement at my utter horror at the 'innocent' word.

I yanked the door open, practically wrenching the hinges from their solid hold. My body went cold, and I began shaking as I saw the still form in my _beloved _brother's arms. He threw the lifeless body at me. I collapsed at the weight, painfully knocking my head against right leg of my bed.

"Take good care of him, but if you need help call a servant. Ill be back in a few days" in a daze, I could faintly hear the click of door and receding steps. After a moment of clearing my head, I turned to look at the boy in my arms.

He was defiantly beautiful, that was no lie. With golden locks and perfectly tanned skin. Even his cloths seemed to latch on to his every curve. I frowned, what could a nobleman of this status be doing with people like my brother. And what the hell was I suppose to do with him?

I strangled moan brought my attention to the semi-conscious boy. Feather light lashes fluttered against unfocused cerulean eyes. '_'He's drugged'_ I thought with an amused smirk.

Apparently, he realized that there was something, or better yet, someone holding him quite closely. I could feel his body automatically tense underneath my fingers, this was going to be one hell of a trip. My smirk widened as his unfocused eyes turned their attention to me.

"I am The Wanderer, Uchiha Sasuke, welcome to the Games."

-:-

(1) A ritual performed when someone is given their name, usually around their 15th birthday. In a sense, it's a coming into adulthood.

LK- heh heh, sorry, I couldn't help but end it the same way as Itachi did. LOL, I bet a lot of you thought it was Sasuke last time nya! Bet I fooled you!! (laughs) haaah…I have no idea where this is going. (blunt) umm, please review! Reviews are love, spread the love! Until then, ill do my best nya!

The One and only, Lonely Kitty


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